Friday, May 27, 2011

Chive Blossoms

Last week I watched my chive blossoms slowly open in the rain. They just didn't seem to want to come out.

This week with the heat, they have opened all the way up.

Earlier in the year I didn't think there would be enough of them. This plant was put in late in the fall. But it has grown quickly and put forth a lot of blossoms. Next year will be better.

But at least it was enough to make a tiny bit of chive blossom vinegar. I went out early this morning to pick them. I wanted to make some last year but with the move (which in a week will be a year ago), life was too hectic to think about it. This year I have plenty of time.

Later today I'll post the winner of the mushroom growing kit. And we can have the craziness of "OMG I WON! I WON!" But this morning is just too peaceful for that. Things are quiet and calm. The birds are singing. The heat hasn't hit yet. Time to sit back and drink some tea. Maybe reflect on how happy I am to be make some chive blossom vinegar and how sad I am that the flowers are gone from the garden.

johanna, Usually I just leave mine on the plant since I like to see them so much, but I really wanted some vinegar last year and didn't make any. So this year I had to pick all the blossoms.

Toni, yes I used white balsamic as the base and it will make a lightly chivey tasting vinegar. And it is so pretty. It turns a pretty pinky-purple. Though it fades if you leave it out where you can see it. But the taste holds.

Laura, yup a whole year. And this year I have a yard. Whoot! I love having a yard. I hated last year with subsoil in the ground.

Carolyn, they are a very nice plant. They never die and just slowly spread. Garlic chives can be a pest, but not the common type.

wilderness. well this is chive blossom vinegar. So it turns a pretty pinky purple (and will stay that way if you keep it in the dark, but then you can't see it). It is so simple. Put your chive blossoms in the bottom of a jar with a wide mouth (don't use the final jar as you want to be able to remove them). Pour some kind of good white vinegar over them. Like white wine. I used white balsamic. Cover tightly. Let sit for a day to a week. Strain out the blossoms. It is pretty and tastes like chives. You can make it with chive leaves too, but the color isn't nearly as pretty then.

I still haven't made mine, because I don't have any white vinegar! I might try it with cider vinegar, for flavor, but it won't be a pretty color. Or I could get off my butt and go to the store and get some white vinegar ;-) I have a ton of chive blossoms.

Interesting, I never knew about chive blossom vinegar. I have just divide our chives clumps end summer this year and plant it in front of 2 veggie patch as a border. Hopefully they have many bloom next spring.

Allison, it is hard to decide to pick all your chive blossoms. I figure some year I'll put another chive plant in the garden and then I can denude the one that is in an out of the way spot.

Granny, no white vinegar? lol I clean with white vinegar so I never say that. I have gallons downstairs (not of the nice white balsamic though). Yes you should stock up on at least some basic white vinegar since it will be pickling time before you know it.

RandomGardener, I always love those blossoms from plants that I grow for some other reason. Such a bonus.

Nancy, I'm still struggling with my black-eyed-susans. I do have a couple up finally (from seed sown in March). I really hope they survive.

Mark, I'm guessing it will make a really good salad dressing.

Diana, I once had a whole border of chives. Not that I needed that many, but nothing else would grow well there, so chives got the spot.

I use cider vinegar for all my pickling. I just hate the flavor of white! The Mr. taste tested dill relish made with white and with cider last year, and declared cider far and above the best. He said the relish made with white tasted to strong and acidic. I do need to remember to look for white balsamic though. Oh, I do have white vinegar under my sink that I use (sometimes) for cleaning windows. I just never think to use it in my food! I am, by the way, steeping a jar of chive blossoms in cider vinegar. So far it's not an ugly color.

About Me

I've been gardening for almost three decades now, ever since my husband and I bought our first house. Every garden has been different. The first was small and the soil was almost pure sand. The second was larger and I had heavy clay. The third and current one which is just outside of Boston, is by far the largest even though the lot is by far the smallest. Since we bought the house new, we designed the landscaping ourselves, and the soil we added was fairly good. My challenge here is the location. We are so close to our neighbors that their houses can shade the garden.